Teens step in with shoes for kids

Updated 2:41 am, Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Photo: William Luther, San Antonio Express-News

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Lazaro Alvarado, back right in blue shirt, from John Jay High School, helps elementary students Aries Marsh, Adrian Marsh, and Oscar Cruz Tuesday Dec. 18, 2012 pick out shoes. Jay High School students, who raised about $7,000 for the giveaway, helped students pick out $25 worth of toys and a pair of shoes costing up to $25

Lazaro Alvarado, back right in blue shirt, from John Jay High School, helps elementary students Aries Marsh, Adrian Marsh, and Oscar Cruz Tuesday Dec. 18, 2012 pick out shoes. Jay High School students, who

Lazaro Alvarado, back left, from John Jay High School, helps elementary students Adrian Marsh, from left, Aries Marsh, and Oscar Cruz, Tuesday Dec. 18, 2012, pick out toys. Jay High School students, who raised about $7,000 for the giveaway, helped students pick out $25 worth of toys and a pair of shoes costing up to $25.

Lazaro Alvarado, back left, from John Jay High School, helps elementary students Adrian Marsh, from left, Aries Marsh, and Oscar Cruz, Tuesday Dec. 18, 2012, pick out toys. Jay High School students, who raised

Lazaro Alvarado, facing camera, from John Jay High School, helps elementary students Oscar Cruz, from left, Adrian Marsh, and Aries Marsh Tuesday Dec. 18, 2012, pick out toys. Jay High School students, who raised about $7,000 for the giveaway, helped students pick out $25 worth of toys and a pair of shoes costing up to $25.

He and Ward beamed as they walked to the checkout with Joel's brother, Jonathan, 10, who Ward also had helped outfit with new footwear.

About 50 Jay students each took responsibility for shepherding two elementary students on a shopping trip Tuesday morning, a process they'll repeat with more children today.

It's a Christmas tradition that's now in its 45th year, said Calvin Buchholtz, a teacher there.

It has expanded through the decades.

Students this year raised $7,000 to take 140 students from seven nearby elementary schools — Cable, Meadow Village, Passmore, Westwood Terrace, Valley Hi, Allen and Mary Hull — to each spend $25 at a Payless store on the West Side and $25 on new toys at Big Lots off Southwest Loop 410.

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The state considers the majority of students in those schools and at Jay as economically disadvantaged.

“Some of the students who raised the money were in their shoes when they were younger,” Buchholtz said. “And now, these elementary school kids may end up following in the older students' footsteps at Jay, doing the same to pay it forward.”

Teachers and students said the charity drive reminds all of the importance of community.

“There's not a person at Jay who doesn't know about this today,” said Andrew Regino, 15, a member of the high school's student council.

“It helps us remember what the needs are out there, as some of these kids come from single-parent homes with limited money, and that many of us take things for granted,” he said.

On Tuesday, students flooded the aisles of the stores with enough enthusiastic fervor to rival shoppers on Black Friday.

Regino and other students organized and hauled large black trash bags bulging with the outlines of shoe and toy boxes back to school buses for children to take home.

After their shopping excursion, Mary Hull students Arnulfo and Dalila Zamarron, ages 7 and 10, respectively, sat outside the Big Lots as Iila Bennett, 18, a Jay senior, watched them marvel at their purchases.

Dalila got some trendy shoes inspired by the Disney Channel's sitcom “Shake It Up,” while Arnulfo, nicknamed A.J., said he was excited about his toys, including a Connect Four board game.

He teased his sister for buying “girly” jewelry-making kits instead of “cooler” toys.

When asked what the trip meant to them, the kids both smiled and A.J. said, “A lot.”